"Get Gorgeous" Herb Tea For Clear Skin

Tea is known for its antioxidant powers and calming effects. In ancient China, it was used for its medicinal effects, and over centuries afterwards its popularity increased and became a luxury all across the world. Different teas do different things, but can one actually make your skin look better?

The Republic of Tea thinks so. Their "Be Well Red Teas" have many different specialty teas including "Get Gorgeous". Here's what it says on the can:

"Let's get one thing clear. True beauty comes from within. But when it comes to clear skin, some of us can use a little help. So here's good news: this organic, rooibos-based, naturally caffeine-free tea blend is brimming with antioxidants- your skin's best friend. Studies show antioxidants are champions at fighting free-radicals- those pesky cells responsible for aging. Rooibos, a natural complexion calmer, is lovely on its own. When joined by soothing chamomile, the bright flavor of orange peel and a rainbow of other tasty, beneficial herbs, it's a veritable superstar. Who could ask for more in a tea? Simply brew, sip, and "get gorgeous".

 Pick some up at Republic of Tea ($10.50 for 36 tea bags).

6 Reasons "Friends With Benefits" Never Works

by Caitlin Brody via Glamour

Even though the movie, which hits theaters tonight, garnered major cuteness points in my book (Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis = HOT. And the many JT bum shots didn’t hurt...at all), I have trouble getting behind the whole friends-with-benefits thing. It’s just never worked for me. Here’s why:


1. I’ve found that it’s nearly impossible not to get attached.After all, a friend with benefits should be a great guy (except maybe when it comes to commitment), which is why we’re friends in the first place. But it’s easy for me to get carried away with thoughts of dates and vacations and ohmigod Kate Middleton married a prince, why can’t I? I try to cut myself some slack though, because even Samantha Jones got attached every once in a while.

2. One word: Jealousy. “Friends” means minimal claim on a guy, so it’s possible that other chicks might come around. And I’m supposed to be OK with it, which I thought would be fine. Key word: thought.

3. The friendship may never be the same again. (That sentence could come with its own dramatic background music.) But it’s true: Sex complicates everything!

4. It’s not just the relationship between the two of you that changes, but the whole dynamic as a group of friends can change, as well. C’mon, it’s weird for everyone if you’re all PDA, but isn’t it just as weird if you’re not?

5. At some point, one of you will get awkward. This one, unfortunately, I’m way too familiar with.

6. No one is immune. Not even seemingly invincible Mila could avoid numbers one through five--and that’s reason enough for me. 

Love It Or Hate It: Guy's Weigh In On Summer's Hottest Fashion Trends For Women

by Elizabeth Mitchell via TheFashionSpot

June 14, 2011

By now, you’ve probably read countless spring/summer trend reports and could readily recite this season's most talked about fashion and beauty crazes for women off the top of your head (if someone were to actually ask). But have you ever wondered what guys really think about all this stuff? If the new man in your life seriously likes making out with a mouth full of loud lipstick? Or if that hottie you met at the bar last night even noticed your new shoes (or was far too caught up in how hot they made your legs look to care)?

Well, we took it upon ourselves to find out. We asked five guys what they thought about five of this season’s hottest new trends, and what we discovered just might surprise you! But first, let’s meet the guys:

• Drew: a 25-year-old accountant from North Carolina and a self-proclaimed sports fanatic.
• Kenny: a 27-year-old nightlife enthusiast and Founder/CEO of newly launched deals website, Night Tap.
• Jay: a 29-year-old actor who's learned that honesty isn’t always the best policy, especially when it comes to critiquing a woman's looks.
• Paul: a 31-year-old bail agent who openly admits to his cluelessness when it comes to fashion.
• Rafael: a 32-year-old fashion designer and stylish store manager at Just Cavalli.

Now, let’s see what they had to say!

1. Nautical-Inspired Fashion – love it or hate it?

Drew – I don’t mind the nautical look, but pattern isn’t as important to me as the cut of the clothing. I do like to see more legs during the summer, so the white shorts are definitely a plus!!!
Kenny – Eh…makes me think of yuppies, but I’m not mad at white and blue.
Rafael – Whatever about it, but unless you are really thin the nautical look just makes you look like a boat.  
The Overall Verdict? Most guys are pretty indifferent on this one. Show them a variety of nautical looks, and they’ll probably tell you something different each time.

image: Madewell

 

2. Flared Jeans – what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

Jay – Bozo the clown in the 70s (clown pants). I’m definitely not a fan – they’re too wide, what do you need all that material for?They also kind of hide a girl's figure, mainly the legs. I need to know if you have cankles! And this is a great way to hide them.
Paul – Bell bottoms are kinda not cool...The Overall Verdict? If you want to grab a guy’s attention, flares aren’t going to cut it. Men are visual creatures and want to see what the shape of your legs actually look like. Their all-time favorite style on a woman? Skinny jeans!Drew – I thought JNCOs went out of style in the late 90s. I like seeing women in a more fitted look that shows off their figure, like skinny jeans.

image: InStyle

3. Bright Lips – love it or hate it, and what do guys really think about lipstick?

Kenny – Love it. It’s hot when girls accentuate their lips. At the end of the night, I’m going to want to kiss them more. It’s a good look for party girls.
Jay – Ahhh, well it looks good on pale blondes. Then it’s hot. But if it rubs off on me, I hate it. It tastes kinda weird too!
Rafael – Used in the right way it can work…and with the right tones for your skin complexion. But it’s more for photo shoots and younger girls. Natural tones probably look best.
The Overall Verdict? Some guys dig this look, others don’t. It really just depends on the girl, and whether or not you’re going to get it all over them when you’re making out later. Lip gloss is always a good alternative.

image: Jil Sander S/S 2011 IMAXtree

4. The Long Bob (or “Lob”) – what’s the first thing that comes to mind? 

Drew – I’m usually a fan of longer hair, but in this case it looks good. I’m leaning towards liking it. While a pretty face seems to be essential for a bob, a “lob” is a bit more forgiving.
Rafael – Friends (the sitcom). Not sexy and very boring, girl-next-door.
Kenny – It’s very Suzy Homemaker-ish. Make a decision ladies. Go long or go short. You can’t do both. Long and free flowing hair like you just left the beach looks best.
The Overall Verdict? Better than the bob, but still not hotter than long locks.

image: Olivia Palermo, Glamour.com

5. Flatforms – love ‘em or hate ‘em, and why?

Paul – Hate 'em. The platform looks funny. Heels are sexiest.
Drew – Not sure how I feel about them. I’m a huge fan of nice legs, which is one reason I love heels, but this look is so different from something I’ve ever seen before…
Jay – Hate 'em. They look like moon boots! A regular sexy high heel goes a long way.
The Overall Verdict? Forget about flatforms – they aren’t going to win you style points with the boys anytime soon. And, as we suspected, dudes want to see our pretty little legs in a sexy pair of high heels (not “moon boots” as Jay called them).

image: Prada flatform, IMAXtree

How To: Look Prettier in Pictures

Article from Allure

"Chin up" may be a good idea when it comes to facing a bad mood, but it's not the best plan when you're posing for a photograph. A new study published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology shows that the angle at which you hold your head may affect how you're perceived by the opposite sex. “For women, a slight downward tilt of the head simulates the view from above and is most feminine and most attractive,” Dr. Darren Burke told the MSNBC blog The Body Odd. For men, a slight backward tilt of the head is judged as most masculine, which can make the man more attractive.

Burke, senior psychology lecturer at the University of Newcastle in Ourimbah, New South Wales, Australia, and his co-author (and wife) Dr. Danielle Sulikowski looked at how the height difference between men and women would influence whether their features were seen as masculine or feminine. They were testing a theory that evolution would have selected features in women that were most feminine when viewed from slightly above — the view men typically have of them.

Next time you post for a picture, tilt your face down slightly and then look up at the camera. Is that your most flattering angle?

Tour Carrie & Big's Apartment from Sex & the City 2

I've already written about Carrie's place in the first SATC movie (link at bottom), but can we just talk about how fantastic her place is in the second one? I'm always inspired.. I hope they come out with more movies just to see the homes. (And clothes). I'd watch!

Here's a view of the apartment from the foyer. The wallpaper is Oiseau in Chocolate by Katie Ridder  available through Holland & Sherry in New York. Let's keep walking!

This little center area is just a walkway filled with bookcases and a beautiful bubble chandelier from

Lindsey Adelman. Hers is hand blown glass laced with 14-kt gold foil and gold murrine. See how to make your own version here!

Here's a view of their living room. How cool is that center coffee table? It's from Poltrona Frou. The two vintage armchairs are from Bergdorf Goodman. The sofa that took Carrie "a year and a half" to find is from Montauk Sofa.

Here's an alternate view of the room- and a better shot of the fantastic coffee table. The books you can see there include Walton Ford; Lewis Carroll; Tracey Chevelier; Sol Levitt, 100 Views; The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco; The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger; Poe & Fanny by John May; Voices of Time: A Life in Stories by Eduardo Galeano; All Yesterday's Parties: The Velvet Underground in Print 1966-71; and  Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence. 

One more alternative view. Here you can see better the floral window treatments. The pillow you see on the chair is the Paul Smith Birdie Blossom. The blue ottoman was from a custom-made for the movie Anne Kyyro Quinn piece.

Closer look at the windows and corner "nook" area, with Art Deco club chairs. Notice there are flowers on EVERY table!

And of course the kitchen, where Carrie spends no time cooking! Very modern and chic.

Here is a closer look at the walls over the counter in the kitchen. These are custom-made silver tiles from Heath Ceramics in Sausalito, California. "One of the few mid-century American potteries still in existence,"  says the set designer.

Take a step back from the kitchen and you have the formal dining room. The fabric on the chairs is "Belgravia" from Lee Jofa. And the table is a French 1940s mahogany piece from Alan Moss Studios in Manhattan. The chandelier is fabulous, it's from Property and is made up of oxidized metal discs.  I think that's my favorite piece in this room. The lighted bookshelves in the background are fun too.

Moving on to the bedroom. Still more floor-to-ceiling curtains and beautiful rugs. All rugs in Carrie and Big's apartment come from The Rug Company. 

A shot of their bed- with a cool modern headboard in Velvet Gate Tuxedo from Kravet and of course, lots of pillows with bedding from Anichini.

The other side of the bed- where there's a fold out desk that becomes the TV's stand. This is Thomas O'Brien's "Hallings Secretary".  The chair is also from Alan Moss, and the wall paper is Rococo Strip by Cole & Son.

Of course, the best part of all is going to be Carrie's closet. Much like the duo-toned cabinets in the kitchen, the woodwork here sets a his-and-her theme, with Carrie's on the right and Big's on the left.

Carrie in her closet, getting ready. Let's take a look at that shoe set up..

Be-a-u-tiful. The shoes in here include styles from Brian Atwood, Charlotte Olympia, Patricia Field (the SATC costume designer), Giuseppe Zanotti, Christian Louboutin, and of course Carrie's favorite- Manolo Blahnik.

Alternate view of the closet and a peak at some of Carrie's purses.

Zoom in to the back side of the closet and you get a glimpse of the bathroom..

With more flowers, makeup brushes and perfumes.

Their apartment is to DIE for. But I wouldn't expect anything less from Ms. Bradshaw :) Check out the post I did on Carrie's apartment makeover from the first movie here.

How To Pop A Pimple.

I'm going to begin this post by stating the obvious: don't pop pimples. You've heard it, I've heard it, that's the best advice they've got and still- that big date is coming up and you say- screw what's better for my skin, I want to look good. Understandable!

Let's first talk about why they recommend you leave it alone. The first reason given for why you shouldn't pop it is because it has the potential to cause scarring. This is more true of certain skin types than others. For example, darker tones and people with severe acne. My husband is pretty fair skinned and this is no motivation for him to stop- he says "I've never gotten a scar before, so that doesn't mean much to me." While some could argue that what he's saying is naive, it's also the mentality of most people who haven't experienced scarring. It's not much a concern!

So what else? Here's one thing that's guaranteed to happen: you're squeezing out a good amount of debris from the pimple, but what you don't realize is, you're not getting it all out. Ever. Think of it like a tube of toothpaste. If you squeeze from the middle, a lot comes out. But the stuff at the bottom doesn't. In fact, when you do this on your face, you are forcing much of the infection deeper down into your skin. This causes potential for worsening the pimple.. which is certainly not something you want. Even in the off chance that it doesn't worsen, it will take longer to completely heal up and go away- because you have caused your body a lot of trouble by interfering with its healing process.

See the illustration above to see what I mean: there is no way you can get in your skin deep enough to squeeze everything out from the bottom, where the hair follicle is. Most likely you will get a lot of the surface, forcing everything else deeper below.

So that's why you don't want to do it. Is that going to stop you? Maybe not. So if you must, you must. But take precautions and do it the right way.

The first step in popping a pimple properly is to make sure your hands and face are clean. Remember how you drive the infection deeper into your skin by forcing some out? The part of the pore that's open will get infested with whatever bacteria is left on your hands, fingernails, and face- one of the reasons a pimple can get worse after popping, or God forbid- spreading the infection causing more breakouts. Prevent this by being clean. Otherwise, don't touch your face!

Next, disinfect a needle or pin with rubbing alcohol. Gently prick the pimple's surface and cover your fingers with some tissue, and squeeze on the sides. (See pic below). If it is ready, the debris will come out easily, if it is not- do not force it. That is key in popping pimples the right way: only do it when it can be done without too much force. You have a much higher risk of damaging skin tissue by using too much force. This will most certainly take longer to heal up, and the main culprit in scarring.

Afterwards, treat the popped pimple with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, like Clearsil's Popped Pimple Relief Pen.

DIY French Braid Side Bun

(photo via LoveMaegan.com)

Maegan has lots of helpful pictures and a video to help teach you how to do it yourself! I was so excited to find this... I tried it out myself and it looks great!